The River Murray and wider Murray-Darling Basin are experiencing the most severe drought in recorded history, with record low inflows into the main storages and the river.

As part of the response to this emergency, the Prime Minister and Premiers Mike Rann, Morris Iemma and Steve Bracks released a joint statement on 20 April 2007 which indicated, among other things, that industrial users of water from the River Murray system should be required to adopt stringent water savings measures and that major users should be required to develop water efficiency plans incorporating industry best practice water efficiency targets from 1 July 2007.

Industrial use of water means water used not only for conventional industrial purposes such as processing, production, manufacturing and smelting, but also for commercial and business purposes, institutions such as schools and hospitals, construction, mining, aquaculture and intensive animal farming. Government agencies will have to comply with these requirements.

The South Australian Government acted on these measures and SA Water sites using more than 50 Megalitres per annum were targeted under this initiative.

Water for Good – the State’s plan to ensure our water future to 2050 has since expanded the initiative to include sites that use greater than 25 Megalitres per annum. Therefore all individual sites that use more than 25 Megalitres per annum will be required to complete a Water Efficiency Plan.

Water Efficiency Plans

The plan encompasses water use in all areas of your operation and includes:

Non-process water - water used in bathrooms (eg hand basins and showers), kitchens, toilets, air conditioning (eg cooling towers) and via some internal hoses. Water saving devices for non-process water include the installation of dual flush toilets, low flow showers and low flow aerators in basins and sinks.

Process water - water used in any production your business may undertake (eg in the production of steel, wine or food products). For example, in intensive animal farming enterprises, process water would include the wash down water. In a metal fabrication factory, the process water would include the cooling water. In food processing plants (eg milk and pork) would include any water used in the food production process.

Download your easy-to-use Water Efficiency Plan pro forma that combines both process and non process water. Please contact the Business Sustainability Group if you have any questions in relation to completing this form.

Outside Use of Water

From 1 July 2007, all industrial users of water will continue to be subject to the same restrictions on the outside use of water for gardens, lawns and other purposes as those applying to domestic and other users of water. View details on water restrictions or permanent water conservation measures.